Despite the operation launched against the Mara Salvatrucha, one of the most dangerous gangs in the country, the police in El Salvador wavered.

“This Saturday March 26 ended with 62 homicides in the country,” the National Civil Police announced on Twitter.

“We will not back down in this war on gangs, we will not stop capturing and bringing to justice the criminals responsible for these acts,” she added.

Several leaders of the gang have been arrested and are accused of being "responsible for the homicides recorded in recent hours", police said.

In response to this sudden wave of violence, the parliament approved the establishment of the state of emergency, requested by President Nayib Bukele, in order to facilitate the work of the police.

The decree, valid for one month, stipulates that “an emergency regime is declared throughout the national territory due to serious disturbances of public order by criminal groups”.

It restricts freedom of assembly, the inviolability of correspondence and communications, and allows arrests without warrants.

1,140 homicides in 2021

“Since yesterday we have seen a new rebound in homicides, something we have been working so hard against.

While fighting criminals on the streets, we are trying to decipher what is happening and who is behind it and funding it all,” said Nayib Bukele, who called a crisis meeting of officials in a statement, in a statement. Security.

The head of state asked the prosecutor's office to treat all cases of gang members with the same "efficiency", warning that he would keep an eye on "judges who favor criminals".

The Mara Salvatrucha, Barrio 18 and other gangs that make a living mainly from drug trafficking and extortion, have a total of about 70,000 members in El Salvador, of whom more than 17,000 are incarcerated, according to authorities.

El Salvador recorded 1,140 homicides in 2021, the lowest figure since the end of the civil war in 1992. But El Salvador is usually one of the countries with the highest homicide rate, up to 82.8 for 100,000 inhabitants in 2017 according to UNODC.

World

Haiti: Two journalists murdered by a gang

World

El Salvador: Salvadoran women demonstrate for the decriminalization of abortion

  • Murder

  • salvador

  • Emergency state

  • Drug traffic

  • World

  • Violence

  • 0 comment

  • 0 share

    • Share on Messenger

    • Share on Facebook

    • Share on Twitter

    • Share on Flipboard

    • Share on Pinterest

    • Share on Linkedin

    • Send by Mail

  • To safeguard

  • A fault ?

  • To print